The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-02-26
Washington Letter.

From our reguiur correspondent
AsiIiNGToN. Feb. l4-Money for
national defense, money for new
Navy, the trade dollar question, the
Eads' ship railway, the backward APP
propriatiOn bills. the edncatio hill
and the anti-polygamy bill are some Of
the subjects to which our law makers
haye given attention during the week
The agitation in all sections Of the
country Of the subject of immediate
provision for national defense has had
its effect upon both Houses of congress.
tees were busy at the same time devils
| lug ways and means for the increase of
She Navy and coast defences, and they
ran race of diligence to get in first
with their important measures. The
Senate won and il doing nobly with
the question Of cruisers. gunboats,
forts. and All sorts of defense.
There has been vast amount of talk
over Tie presidents veto Of tho disa-
bility pension bill. This matter pre-
sents remarkable spectacle TO the
country, and emphasizes the fact that
the ways of the present administration
are past finding ont. a Democratic
president yetoes a general pension law
ia order 10 enable congress to reduce
war taxes, and a Democratic speaker
of the House of Represt natives uses
his power 10 gag congress to prevent
the removal of the war tax on tobacco
When Capt. Eads' great ship railway
scheme came up in the Senate It was
advocated by Senator Iioar as one of
the most important steps that the
American people bad taken for gen
Grafton. 1t would give them control
of the markets Of the world. After
sketching the course of commerce i'm
the past aud in the present he said it
would hereafter seek direct paths.
There were two routes eastward and
westward. One through the Mediter-
ranean sea had cut Asia and Africa in
twain, The other mot yet OPEN was
10 divide the American continent at
Tehuantcpec.
The Senator thought if congress
would cooperate with the great Amer
lean inventor and engineer in his plan
for this purpose, 1T would go far towards
securing future commercial supremacy
for the United States. 1t is rot the
proposition Of an adventurer" said he.
Capt Eads stakes upon it fame
gained 10y two of the greatest engineer
ing feats of the age"
Senator Gibson favored all attempts
To pierce the isthmus. and would even
applaud the genius of Lcsseps if he
were successful in opening the Panama
canal, and etiacing the barrier Of the
chain of the Cordilleras. He was dis
posed to favor any engineering scheme
that was backed by the name of Eads
And then he said the proposed route
would be continuation of the Missis
sippi river in nearly direct line
across the isthmus. The opening OF
the Nicaragua route would invite an
issue with France, England and Spain
on the Monroe doctrine.
The Blair Educational bill has been
suppressed i'm committee by the distin-
guished leaders of the Democratic
party, Messrs. Carlisle, Randall and
Morrison. The Republican members
Of the committee, Messrs Reed and
liiscock, need one vote to enable them
to report the measure back to the
llCuse. \ recent canvass of that body
satisfied the member who made it that
the bill would command the support of
twC-thir,.s Of the members, il it could
be presented TO them for action
The people Of Washington are wait
ing impatiently for congress to take
action upon several propositions. They
all want Inauguration day changed
from the fourth of March to the Thrift
eth of April. They want an appropri-
alton for running the elevator in the
Washington Monument, and they want
the grand memoria! bridge that is to
span the Potomac as monument to
General Grant.
There is fair prospect for the next
president t. be inaugurated on the last
Tuesday in April, 1859. This day in
tie Centennial year comes on the day
on which Washington was inauguyated
in l79a. Consequently there can be no
sentimental grounds for objection to
the change. And the reasons in favor
OF it are obvious. 1t will add nearly
two months to the short sessions Of
congress. and it will bring the inaugu-
raj ceremonies in the most delightfal
season of the year. The people Of the
whole country would welcome II In the
interest OF convenience to the large
numbers who flock here to the inaugur-
"a.